California Lunch Bowl with Poached Egg
Warm brown rice or quinoa base topped with crisp romaine, shaved fennel, creamy avocado, and a poached egg. Finished with dukkah spice blend, fresh cilantro, and a balsamic-olive oil dressing. Easily converted to hard-boiled eggs for meal prep and transport.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- ¼ bulb fennel, shaved
- 1 avocado, halved, peeled, sliced
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oilavocado oil1:1vegetarianvegandairyfree
neutral alternative
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- salt(optional)
- ground black pepper(optional)
- 1 tsp minced fresh red Thai chili
- 2 Tbsp dukkahza'atar1:1nutfree_substitutevegan
nut-free alternative spice blend
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- 1
Fill a small skillet two-thirds full with water and add distilled white vinegar
- 2
Bring water to a boil, crack in eggs, immediately remove from heat and cover for 7 minutes
- 3
Add rice, romaine, fennel, and avocado to serving bowls
- 4
Season with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and minced red Thai chili to taste
- 5
Remove poached egg from water with slotted spoon, draining thoroughly, and place on top of rice
- 6
Top with dukkah and fresh cilantro
- 7
Toss bowl, allowing yolk to become part of dressing
Tips
For meal prep, substitute hard-boiled eggs for poached eggs and refrigerate in sealed container
Pack with chilled cooler pack if transporting to work
Let egg yolk run into dressing when tossing for integrated flavors
Good to Know
Refrigerate assembled bowl with hard-boiled egg substitution in sealed container up to 24 hours. Keep chilled during transport.
Prepare rice and hard-boil eggs up to 3 days ahead. Chop vegetables and store separately. Assemble within 4 hours before eating to prevent sogginess.
Serve warm rice with room-temperature vegetables and chilled egg. Toss gently before eating.
Common Mistakes
Do not cover poached eggs before removing from heat to avoid overcooking and rubbery whites
Do not skip draining poached egg thoroughly to avoid watery bowl
Do not assemble more than 4 hours ahead when packing to avoid soggy lettuce
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
Vegan Options
nut-free alternative spice blend